Cowards rob 87-year-old
Pair of abductors force elderly man to withdraw money from multiple cash machines
Police, Age Concern and social media users have reacted with disgust after an elderly man was forced into the rear of his own car (pictured) and driven to money machines in Hastings. A man and woman forced the man to withdraw money for them.
A “cowardly” attack on an 87-year-old man in a Hastings supermarket carpark has appalled the region’s head of Age Concern. The elderly man is recuperating at home from injuries he suffered after an aggravated robbery on Saturday at Countdown supermarket in Hastings.
Detective Sarah Williams said about 3.55pm the man was forced into the back of his white hatchback car by offenders who drove the man to several money machines where he was forced to withdraw money.
Age Concern Hawke’s Bay manager Deborah Biggs was appalled that someone would do this to anyone, but especially an 87-year-old.
“We will be contacting police to see if we can offer this gentleman any support.”
She said they have applied for funding to run ‘Staying Safe’ courses and this incident shows how much they are needed. Hawke’s Bay Today Facebook commenters were quick to react, angrily condemning the incident. Several called for security to be improved in public spaces and all were disgusted.
“This is absolutely outrageous,” said Bonnie Conole.
“That poor man, he must have been so frightened.”
Police are looking for a man and a woman who were in a faded black car before the incident, during which they got into the man’s white hatchback.
The woman is believed to be Maori, aged about 50 with straight, black, shoulder-length hair. The male was a young man.
“This was a brazen and cowardly attack on an elderly man in broad daylight,” Williams said.
If you saw the man’s car, pictured, driving around Hastings between 3.55pm and 4.30pm on Saturday call Detective Sarah Williams on 06 873 0561 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Meanwhile, police are also investigating a possible robbery in Napier in which a vehicle was alleged to have been taken from a suburban street.
The incident was reported on Barnard Ave, Maraenui, just after 9pm, when a person was said to have left one vehicle and attacked the driver of another.
The victim’s vehicle was reportedly then driven off but was found abandoned soon afterwards on nearby Masefield Ave, missing some liquor apparently recently bought at a bottle store.
The alleged offender was reported to have been one of four or five in a car, thought to have been a dark red Subaru, which was being sought by police.